The government space agency has vocally promoted diversity and inclusion for decades, even during the first Trump administration.

NASA affirmed on Wednesday a plan it set last year to work with Elon Musk's SpaceX in returning two astronauts from the International Space Station, saying it will do so "as soon as practical," the day after President Donald Trump suggested he wants a quicker return for the crew.

The space agency's planetary science analysis groups must pause while NASA checks if they comply with Trump's orders.

After terminating its diversity programs, the space agency is reviewing whether several science committees are complying with presidential orders.